Online Gambling Is Taking a Toll On Mental Health Of Young Boys In Kashmir. Here Are Some First Hand Experiences

Umran Hussain

No one likes to lose – even an addicted gambler. And yet he keeps on betting. People addicted to sports betting frequently report that, despite continuous losses, the buzz keeps bringing them back to the online gambling games.

In a survey conducted by “The Kashmir Radar,” of 100 Dream 11 players, the prospect of the chance to “win big money” was the strongest factor. About two percent of the gamblers said, they played it “because it was exciting”.

The people we talked to, seem to be satisfied with relatively small wins, and will accept even smaller losses. They tend to be conscious that, in the long run, they are more likely to lose than win.

Among various interesting findings, our team discovered that when participants had a lower expectation that they would win, their response to winning equal rewards was elevated. 

“I wont give up till I become a millionaire, whatever you call it, I call it a passion. I have been playing the game since three years, I never won a big amount, but I am sure one day I will.” Said Irshad Ahmad.

“I know it is an addiction but I am just into it and I am enjoying being engaged with it once the match starts. I am sure that one day I will win a big amount, I am getting kind of an inner calling that one day I will be rich,” Said Adil, a dream 11 addict.

“I won 1500 on the very first day I started betting on Dream 11 and then I never stopped, several times I tried to give up but I think winning those 1500 rupees was a trap and now I feel I cant stop it. I can say I am addicted to it.” Said Manzoor Ahmad.

“When I check the list of winners on Dream 11 after the match ends, I see a kashmiri in the winning slot and that motivates me to continue investing in a match on Dream 11. I feel I too can be a winner one day. I want to come out of it, every hour I feel like uninstalling the application, then the “luck factor” again comes to my mind. I look at the winners and I feel, I certainly can be the one among them.” Said Riyaz Ahmad who has been playing the game since 2019.

 

“Even if you are very lucky and end up winning a Mega contest, that money won’t last you a lifetime and the chances of winning a Mega contest twice are very slim. I’ve seen people spending hours on research so they could make the right team and still lose money. I’ve seen people getting panic attacks while the match is in progress. You are better off studying or getting a proper job and you really aren’t learning anything from the time you spend on Dream11.” Said Suhail Ahmad who has never invested money in dream 11.

Dream11 is an Indian fantasy sports platform that allows users to play fantasy cricket, hockey, football, kabaddi, and basketball. In April 2019, Dream11 became the first Indian gaming company to become a unicorn.

Legality of the game:

In 2017, a case was registered against the company in an Indian High Court. The court, in its ruling, stated that playing the Dream11 game involves superior knowledge, judgement and attention.

The Court also held that “the element of skill” had a predominant influence on the outcome of the Dream11 game. However, the law does not allow fantasy sports in a few Indian states like Assam, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

A challenge to this judgement was filed with the Supreme Court of India, which dismissed the appeal. The judgement provided legality to the company and allowed them to run their operations throughout the country.

Despite it being adjudged to be a “game of skill”, experts believe that the company operates in the country’s regulatory “grey area”.Dream11 is not available on the Google Play store for Android devices as Google does not allow apps that run cash contests.